Evans School 4th Annual Career Fair

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TIPS FOR STUDENTS

Getting the most out of the 4th Annual
Evans School Career Fair!

The career fair is designed to present students with full-time and internship opportunities available at a wide variety of organizations and agencies spanning the gateway interests.

Here are some tips that may be helpful as you prepare for the career fair:

Before the Career Fair

1. Research the agencies and organizations that may be of interest to you. Use online as well as print resources; search the individual organization's website.
   
2. Create your "30-second" commercial to introduce yourself and highlight your strengths and skills to an employer; identify specific experiences where you have successfully demonstrated your skills and strengths.
   
3. Prepare a professional, concise and effective resume to hand to any organization or agency in which you are interested. Many of the organizations at the career fair will be collecting resumes. If you are actively searching for a job or internship, have an updated resume ready to go. If you are interested in several career fields, it is a good idea to have different versions of your resume, targeted to each of these career fields.
   
4. Be ready to explain specific items and experiences you've listed on your resume, this will make you a stronger candidate.
   
5. Know why you want to work for a specific organization; if you can't answer that question, the employer will likely not be interested in you as a potential candidate.
   
6. Prepare relevant questions to ask the recruiter.

During the Career Fair

1. Arrive early before long lines have formed; lines will get longer as the day progresses. Sometimes employers leave before the fair is over.
   
2. First plan to meet the employers that your research indicates are the best matches for your career interests, then speak with the others for networking purposes (they may know someone you could be connected to).
   
3. Make eye contact immediately when introducing yourself. Give a firm handshake to get you off to a good start. Try to use the company representative's name; look at their card or name tag. Smile, be polite and show enthusiasm; these are important qualities in any candidate.
   
4. Ask questions about available positions within the company.

Communication is CRITICAL

1. Listen carefully to what the representative has to say.
   
2. Avoid using filler words or phrases such as "you know", "like", "I mean", "you know what I mean"; "well"; speaking professionally is an important element of the job search process.
   
3. Be confident when speaking.
   
4. Have sufficient copies of your resume available and be prepared to offer one to each of the companies or organizations you are interested in. Use good quality white paper.
   
5. Ask for a business card or keep a list and write down the company representative's name and contact information.
   
6. Keep a notepad and pen with you and take notes after speaking with each employer.

Body language can often speak louder than words

1. Don't fidget or play with your hair, it is distracting and employers will notice. These mannerisms give the impression you are not interested in their organization.
   
2. Look at the recruiter but don't try to stare him / her down.
   
3. Maintain eye contact while speaking.
   
4. Do not chew gum; it's unprofessional. It's smart to keep breath mints handy.

After the Career Fair

1. Follow-up with a thank you letter, email or note to those employers you are interested in; remind them of your interest and availability.
   
2. If you promised to send an employer additional information about yourself, send it immediately.
   
3. Explore all of your options. Don't limit your possibilities; be open to new ones. Focus more on your interests and less on the specifics of your degree. Reality says the job market right now is a tough one…networking is key. It's who you know.